Those of us who meditate regularly know that, unless we’re very fortunate, keeping our attention on our meditation, whatever form our practice takes, can sometimes be difficult. Our mind wanders, worries, daydreams and relives memories. It can feel like an uphill struggle. There are some simple steps, however, which give us the best chance of bringing our busy minds to rest during meditation:
1. Create a sacred space.
Devote a particular area of your home for meditation practice. It doesn’t need to be large, so it can be a room (if you have a spare one!) or the smallest corner of a room – it just needs enough space to contain your chair or mat, and perhaps a small table for a candle and some flowers. Make sure fresh air is available.
2. Practice of attention in daily activities
It’s not just during our actual meditation practice that our ability to focus is nurtured. If we practise giving attention to our normal day-to-day activities (instead of being on auto-pilot and day-dreaming through our jobs) this will help our meditation too. A good example is that of washing the dishes – we tend to want to ‘get this job over with’ and rush through it without focus, but instead we can really attend to it, feeling the warmth of the water on our hands.
3. Rest between activities
We can also bring our mind to rest at the end of each activity. We do this simply by pausing for a moment; we can perhaps become aware of our breath for a few seconds, or repeat our mantra if we have one.
4. Chanting or singing
Chanting scriptural verses and singing songs of praise are very good for focussing the mind and opening our hearts.
5. Reading
It’s good to have a daily practice of reading, just for 10 minutes, something which reminds us of our true divine nature, that we’re much bigger than we normally think we are. Examples of this could be the Bhagavad Gita, anything by Eckhart Tolle or Eknath Easwaren or the Bible. There are hundreds of books to choose from – find a few that really resonate with you and let your mind drink in the words.
6. Breathing exercises are another good way of focussing the mind. Some mediation practices are breath-centred but whatever the method of mediation, five minutes of conscious breathing before you start will help to clear away those restless thoughts.
7. Sufficient sleep.
We all know what happens to our meditation when we’re over-tired – we fall asleep! A good night’s sleep is so important for our health and well-being, and for our meditation too.
8. Listening to music
This can also be very restful for the mind and can therefore help us to find rest in meditation. The music of Mozart and other great composers is very therapeutic; you could try Gregorian Chant or whatever music you find which helps agitation subside.
9. Walking Meditation
This is also a great way of channelling our mind. It doesn’t have to be taken up as an activity of itself (although it can be), we can practise walking meditation on our way to the shops, to work or wherever we are walking. If you have a dog it’s all set up for you! As we’re walking, we practise raising our level of consciousness by being aware of our breathing, repeating our mantra or a favourite passage from a scripture, or connecting with our senses.
10. Perseverance and cheerfulness
If we start to feel despondent because we think our meditation is not going as well as we would like, this negativity in itself will have a detrimental effect. We can just say “no, thank you” to that negative feeling and persevere with a cheerful heart, knowing that we can only be truly at peace when we let go of such agitations.
Meditation is truly a great gift. It deserves our best attention.
Related Articles:
The Importance of Concentration in Meditation Practice
Join the Conversation